Towel rack



Oct. 14, 1941. L w, KEND 2,259,166

TOWEL RACK Filed March 15, 1940 v I INVENTOR. Z1 2, 0ml; Wflemirza' Patented Get. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TOWEL RACK Louis W. Kendrick, Springfield, Mass.

Application March 15, 1940, Serial No. 324,220 2 claims. (01. 211-423) This invention relates to improvements in towel racks and is directed more particularly to the provision of a novel towel rack construction including a plurality of rod-like members which are swingable between neutral or relatively inoperative positions and supporting or operative positions.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide a towel rack which is so constructed that varied amounts of toweling may be supported thereby. That is to say, there are movable supporting members arranged so that any selected number thereof may be used at a given time and those which it is not desired to use may be moved to a position where they do not interfere with the proper use of those being utilized.

It will be appreciated that while the construction of this invention is especially suited for holding towels, other articles-such as neckties or other clothing are equally capable of efiicient support thereby. As will appear, the device is economical and simple to manufacture yet neat and durable.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an adjustable rack-like device having a rod or rails, or a plurality thereof, capable of being moved from a neutral position to either a lower or an upper operative position and of being automatically locked in either of said po-- sitions. The locking mechanism is such that manual movement of the rods may easily result in unlocking of the rods so as to permit swinging thereof to another desired position.

With the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a towel rack embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1 with dot-dash lines to show different positions the rods or rails may take;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan View showing one end or side of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the collar members shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a spring member adapted for use in the construction of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing the parts in a different relation;

Fig. 8 is a similar view with the parts in a still different relation;

Fig. 9 is a similar view with the parts in another diiferent relation; and

Fig. 10 is a top plan view of an end portion of one of the rod or rail members.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

The device of the invention is especially adapted for securing to a vertical wall of a room or the like and to this end includes a pair of spaced brackets 2. These brackets 2 are joined together and held in fixed position relative to one another by a stationary or fixed rod or rail 4.

This connecting rod 4 may vary in form but will have its ends secured to the brackets in some suitable way. According to the form shown, the opposite end portions of rod 4 are offset with respect to the main body of the rod so that when the brackets are secured to a wall, the said central portion of rod 4 is spaced from the wall to permit towels or the like to be draped thereover.

This, of course, provides a stationary supporting rod as contrasted with the movable rod or rods about to be described. It will be appreciated, however, that the principal function of rod 4 is to tie the brackets 2 together.

The brackets 2 include a pair of spaced forwardly-extending ears or lugs 6. Extending between these members 6 is a shaft or rod 8, preferably in the form of a screw, having a headed end in engagement with one ear and its opposite end in screw-threaded engagement with the other ear, as indicated.

One or more supporting rails or rods have their opposite ends pivoted on said shafts or pins 8. In the drawing, I have shown three such movable rods l0, l2, and 14 respectively and it will be understood that a greater or less number may be employed.

When there are three such rods, there are-a pair of spacers or collar members I6 on each pin or screw 8. The spacers l6 are apertured at l8 to receive the rods 8 and set-screws 20 preferably extend through the members It and engage the shaft so as to prevent relative movements thereof.

These spacers or collars l6 are provided with outwardly-extending extensions 22 formed to have stops 24. Said extensions 22 serve to more or less conceal the pivotal mechanism while the stops 24 may act to limit the upward pivoted or swinging movement of the rods.

The end portions of the rods are more or less flattened or thinned out to take the form of lugs or ears and these are apertured to receive said shaft or pin 8 and arranged to be pivoted thereon.

For purposes of disclosure, I have shown in detail only one of such ears. In Fig. 10, an end portion of rod I2 is shown in the form of a lug 26 and this same rod and lug, which is preferably integral therewith, are shown in Figs. 6 to 9 inclusive in various positions to and from which they are capable of movement according to the invention by swinging relative to pivot pin 8.

In Fig. 6 the rod I2 is shown in its lowermost or neutral position. The lug 26 is pivoted on pin 8 and located adjacent a side face of one of the collars I6, the stop 24 thereof being adapted to engage the end portion of the rod when the same is swung upwardly a certain distance and prevent the same from over-traveling on its pivot.

The inner ends of the lugs 26 are provided with one or more sockets 28 in which are pivoted, as on pins 30, pawl members 32. Where the rods or rails are'to be lockedin either of two positions, as in the embodiment of the invention shown, there are two such socketed pawls 32, but it will be understood that the number depends on the number of intermediate positions in which it is desired to lock the rails.

The locking mechanism is shown in connection with but one of the brackets 2, it being the practical and preferred arrangement that the rodsbe merely. freely pivoted in the other bracket although it is to be understood that the same locking mechanism could be incorporated in both brackets if such were felt necessary. However, for purposes of description, the locking mechanism is shown in connection with one bracket 2 and this is preferably recessed to permit the body part of a spring member 40 to be received therein and this may be held therein by a platelike member 38 arranged to clamp the same in place.

The spring member '40 will have a plurality of fingers 42, the number all depending upon the number of rods or rails the construction is to include and these fingers are arranged to urge themselves against the pawls 32. The said lugs or ears of the rods, such as 26 shown, are notched as well as socketed, again all depending upon the number of rods and consequently, pawls, etc. employed, so that when an adjustable rod is moved upwardly from a neutral position (see Fig. 6)

to a lower position the particular finger 42 intended therefor will snap into the lower notch after having first pushed upwardly and removed from effective engagement the lower pawl 32.

Continued upward movement of the rod will result in the finger 42 snapping into the upper notch, after having previously engaged and urged upwardly the upper pawl member 32. The engagement in one of said notches by the finger previously selected will thus limit the movement as desired. 1

.The sockets and pawls are so arranged that the latter are more or less limited in their movement by the opposite sides of the sockets yet they may swing suificiently so that they engage, and are engaged by, the spring. As is shown in Figs. 6-9 inc., upward movement of one of the adjustable rods, such as I2, from so-called neutral or inoperative position (see Fig. 6) to an intermediate or lower position see Fig. '7) causes the particular finger 42 to snap into the lower notch of the rods lug.

Continued upward movement of the rod results in the fingers engaging and riding over the lower pawl 32 eventually snapping into the upper notch to hold the rod in its upper operative position (see Fig. 9). The said notches and pawl members are of such relative lengths and so arranged that even further upward movement causes the finger 42 to ride over the pawl and snap into the notch at the opposite side thereof, the arrangement being such that the rods may then be moved downwardly from locked to neutral position.

While I have described the invention in great detail and with respect to the present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A device of the class described comprising in combination, a bracket, arack member pivoted thereto for swinging movements upwardly from inoperative to operative position and an uppermost position therepast and to inoperative position, engageable locking means associated with said bracket and rack member releasably holding said member in operative position, and releasing means operative as the rack member swings past said operative position to uppermost position to disengage said locking means whereby the rack member may swing to inoperative position, said engageable locking means including notches provided on the rack member and spring means on the bracket engageable therewith and said releasing means including a pawl on the rack member acting on said spring means.

2. A device of the class described comprising in combination, a bracket, a plurality of rack members pivoted thereto for independent swinging movements from inoperative to operative positions and therepast to uppermost positions, separate engageable locking means associated with each of said rack members and said bracket to releasably hold the rack members in operative positions, and releasing means associated with each rack member operative as the rack members swing past their operative positions to disengage the locking means whereby-the rack members may swing to inoperative position, said engageable locking means including notches provided on the rack members and spring means on the bracket engageable therewith and said releasing means including pawls on the rack members acting on said spring means.

LOUISj W. KENDRICK. 

